Forum Moderators: open
The reason why I would find it useful is that out of the hundreds (or thousands) of posters here, there are only a few I would consider worth reading on a regular basis. The rest just make me want to go watch the test pattern on my TV for a few hours. Being able to quickly skip to the worthwhile posters' posts would be massively time saving for me. I do something like this already (bookmarking profile pages) but it's not nearly as effective.
Which brings me to another feature that I think needs to be added. When I click on one of the "Recent Messages" on the profile page of a user, I should be taken to that specific message, NOT to the beginning of the thread where the user posted. That degrades the value enormously. Even adding just this one improvement would be valuable (i.e. even without the buddy list feature)
Getting more creative here - you could use the buddy lists to measure the popularity of posters here and have two lists - "the list of most popular posters" and "the list of hottest new posters" (measured by how many new people have added them to their buddy list in some recent time period). This would be an immense time-saver to someone new on the forum here so that they could immediately zoom in on the most popular posters here. I am well aware that popularity and skill are not strictly correlated but this improvement would have to be better than equating the posting value of every clueless newbie with some respected and successful community member. Clueless newbies have their place as well of course, but they mostly just add to the page scroll distance between two valuable posts.
everybody else's rants
Who made you the judge?
The structure of the forum forces you to read them that way.
I don't find that. I seem to have an ability to skip and post in a thread. Hmm.
I've been around this forum for years on and off...
However, your join date seems to suggest you have not posted for most of that time.
... but have not been satisfied with the time it takes to find things out.
Then quite frankly ... why are you still here?
has anyone in this thread agreed with your idea?
>> Several.
Chris
p.s. On a person note ... please don't call me bro or comrade.
Bottler, I know this wasn't your very first post, but I thought I'd give you the traditional welcome anyhow: Welcome to WebmasterWorld!
And Bottler certainly isn't busy enough, as he has continued the argument ;)
Would be useful and fun to find some smart and successful webmasters to exchange ideas with privately though.
Without the community how would you know who fell into that category. I am only 21 and yet my last 2 day project brought in over £10k. Therefore, I must be successful.
Try the supporters forum and then critise.
Chris
Which brings me to another feature that I think needs to be added. When I click on one of the "Recent Messages" on the profile page of a user, I should be taken to that specific message, NOT to the beginning of the thread where the user posted. That degrades the value enormously. Even adding just this one improvement would be valuable (i.e. even without the buddy list feature)
I can usually quickly find the posting of some member in a thread by using the Find function on my browser ('Edit menu, Find on this page.' for IE and NN). It can take some more time if a thread is spread over several pages. Default the number of messages on a page is set to 15. But you can increase that to up to 75 in System Preferences [webmasterworld.com]. If 75 is still not high enough (for the big threads like those update ones), go to the end of the thread and click on the Printer Friendlier option. That will always put all the messages of a thread on one page. Here again you can use the find function of your browser. No big problem for me.
"...I'm not that interested in being a respected community member at this point..."
That is the point I was trying to make. If you aren't interested in contributing, just in taking, then you are welcome anyway! Just take what you like, and leave what you don't, but don't expect the forum to change just to make it easier for you to just take and not give.
but don't expect the forum to change just to make it easier for you to just take and not give.
You wouldn't call offering five times the WebmasterWorld registration fee (see the other thread) "giving"?
In the context of this forum, I would tend to say no. I could be wrong, but I think Brett is trying to make a site that will be of benefit and use to everyone, be they a "clueless newbie" or "a respected community member". I find it doubtful that WW is intended to be a premium service catering to the highest bidder.
What would your money achieve? Help with hosting costs, forum maintenance etc. But if everyones concept of giving was in the same purely financial terms, there would be little forum left to maintain.
Scott
Don't know why I'm perpetuating this. I know I shouldn't
Its not about the money. The forum would have absolutely no value if not for the people who contribute by quality posts, or by providing a community which helps each other. Without quality posters you would not be prepared to pay the subscription, let alone a premium.
I have the impression that you just don't get what this 'community' is all about, and you are trying to encourage it to become something that it just doesn't want to become. I'm not making a judgement about which is better. (Well, I am really). I'm just saying don't try change it. It doesn't want to change. Just take what you find valuable and leave the rest.
Thanks Shawn. I'm not that interested in being a respected community member at this point in time.
In which case you're doing everything right - you carry on!
TJ
its not about money - lets see a serious contribution of knowledge from yourselve - then once you illustrated this oh so illuminating contrast, to us rather stupid webmasters then you can talk about the us and them argument, regarding post content, rather than arguing about something that obviously you have lots of time to argue about.
Its getting a little boring i'm afraid to say, its sounds like the anti for anti's sake, this minority that you speak off, actually represents some of the permanent members of the forums, i would like to see, what you think the majority is, can you name them?
Last post for me unless this thread does a u-turn, and becomes constructive, rather than one man and his money - wants the knowledge just not will to learn the knowledge. Oh there are SEO/SEM classes on the Net, maybe thats what you need to spend your $1000.00 on, or why not just contribute to WebmasterWorld and ask for nothing.
No I would call it arrogance.
I would call that a good point :)
My is not why we or this forum is here. Knowledge is why we are here. Everyday I walk away with a new bit of knowledge. I paid/supported this forum for the knowledge.
Caine has made a very good point. Stick around make posts and read posts, however, please do not critise when you are new to the forum and have not yet contributed your knowledge. This forum should not be changed for just one person (even if it were rc).
Chris
can you name them?
Stick around make posts and read posts
It really is quite naive of you to think that only you - and after just a few weeks here - recognize the shortcomings of the forum, and the rest of us follow WebmasterWorld lemming-like into the sea.
Sure, we know its not perfect - that's why we give money to help Brett make it better. Certainly Brett knows it is not perfect - he's working hard to address some of the existing shortcomings of the forum.
Is there noise in the Google forum? Sure - because so many new members are flocking here from around the web for the value they find. Sometimes it makes it harder to find useful information - no one would argue that point. But to say you will only give money once the forum has been modified to suit your individual and personal tastes strikes me as more than a little elitist.
I'm sure you have useful contributions to make to WebmasterWorld. But no one here considers endless criticism a useful contribution. So please consider whether you want to demonstrate your value to the community by helping others learn or do you want to sit smugly outside and carp on the shortcomings you see.
Hopefully you will decide to contribute content rather than criticism.
Sorry can't do that right now. I'm going to go watch some more test patterns on TV. The close-minded and political/hierarchical tones of some members of this vocal minority is truly suffocating and anti-creative.
Meeeooow!
Handbags at the ready ladies, this chick means business!
TJ
Comparing your post counts. You have spent the majority of posts b*tching about the forum. Well quite frankly we don't need you and judging by your posts above you are ssooooo go that you don't need us.
Bottlers Profile:
Looking for intelligent life to meet at the London PubConference
Ironic. We're looking for the same which is why I won't be heading in your direction.
Blood boiling and biting toungue.
Chris
[edited by: chris_f at 12:29 pm (utc) on June 25, 2003]
Handbags at the ready ladies, this chick means business!
LOL. Yep yep I see your point now - nice worthwhile and valuable posts full of content and suggestions like this one that benefit all. How could I have been so shortsighted?
When someone resorts to blatantly sexist comments it's about time the thread was closed out you think Mods?
If I were in control, your account would be closed as well.
Chris
One feature which would vastly improve the value of this forum
What I'd like to see is the ability to format code in posts better. e.g. a better version of the 'pre-formatting'.
What is the one feature you would like to see improved?
Can we please start a new thread. We'll get a better response.
Chris
I would also like to see an improved search engine with more parameters to play with, although I have to confess (thanks Dave!) that I now tend to use google and the "site:" command to search WW.
TJ
